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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29295858">The Language of Flowers</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/CethlyArlo/pseuds/CethlyArlo'>CethlyArlo</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Last of Us (Video Games)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Apologies, Language of Flowers, Other, Spoilers, Wakes &amp; Funerals</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 06:42:21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,247</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29295858</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/CethlyArlo/pseuds/CethlyArlo</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Ellie discovers the meaning behind the flowers she interacts with throughout her story.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Dina/Ellie (The Last of Us), Ellie &amp; Joel (The Last of Us)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>20</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Hydrangeas</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Hello! I wrote this after finishing The Last of Us: Part II and after I had a time to think and absorb everything. I'm a flower geek and decided to write this piece for a small, but very sentimental meaning behind the flowers NaughtyDog had Ellie leave for Joel. I posted this connection on Reddit and ended up with a good response, so I felt like it needed *fanfiction* (insert jazz hands).</p><p>Happy reading and enjoy!<br/>-Lady Arlo</p>
    </blockquote><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Ellie has a meaning behind the flowers she leaves for Joel before embarking on her journey to Seattle.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Day became night, which in turn became day again to continue the never-ending <em>insufferable</em> cycle around them. Despite the colors of early morning and midday and afternoon, the world was dark and black and barren to her. </p><p>
  <em>It should have been her who was buried six feet under. Not Joel.</em>
</p><p>She went to his funeral dressed in the same clothing she wore when he died and watched as his casket descended into the cold, hard ground. <em>She hadn't been able to do much more than clean the wounds on her face. </em>Her chest felt like a hole when his casket landed with a <em>thunk </em>against the frigid final resting place. Her heart tore at her ribs and lungs as so many people tossed flowers on the wooden enclosure that contained his broken body. <em>She would never see him look healthy and happy again. She'd never see him again at all. </em></p><p>Tears tore painfully at her eyes, and nothing she seemed to do would make them fall. It was like she couldn't feel sad in the moment and yet her body was stiff with the rigor mortis of the grief and sorrow that chewed at her hollow stomach. She couldn't feel Dina's unwavering warmth beside her. She couldn't feel the heat of Dina's hands which wrapped around her own, nor the comfort of her embrace when dirt was pushed over the gaping maw of earth.</p><p>Joel was swallowed in darkness and she stood there, unmoving. Her mind wouldn't let her leave her place; her guard; her eternal watch that would never end. The world rose menacingly up around her and <em>everything</em> began to suffocate.</p><p>Her knees had buckled and she fell. Liquid sound flooded her mind and her brain felt swollen. The last memory of that day turned to black as Dina folded her into a warm embrace she hadn't been able to feel over the roar of insufferable torment.</p><p>And yet time continued… and anger festered. Her mind was restless, her hands couldn't keep still. Every single cuticle was torn to shreds and crusted with dried blood. No matter how hot the water was or how hard she scrubbed at her skin, the regret and sorrow and guilt wouldn't leave. Food turned to ash in her mouth and often came up a few seconds; minutes; hours later. It sat like bleach in her stomach: toxic and deadly.</p><p>She <em>needed</em> to do something… so she went to the greenhouses. </p><p>Fruits, vegetables, and herbs were propagated and grown to feed and care for Jackson's community. Everything was alive and thrumming with life… and yet all she could feel was death. </p><p>Her fingers brushed across the bright petals of flowers that lined the small footprint of fertile soil and wondered why so many different species were even there in the first place. It wasn't <em>necessary </em>like food was…</p><p>"What is your favorite type of tea?" A woman with greying hair asked, causing Ellie to jump.</p><p>"I don't know… I don't really drink tea." She responded absently.</p><p>"You should, especially from these flowers here. Their roots contain properties that promote wellness." She smiled as she dug the roots of a fluffy blue flower out of the ground. "Dandelion, for example, promotes healthy intestines." She hummed to herself, seemingly unaffected by Ellie's depressive mood. "Besides, dandelion is popular as it tastes much like coffee. Be careful though, because it's a laxative as well. It's a fantastic trading item." </p><p>"I know." Ellie volunteered. "Someone very close to me was fond of Dandelion tea because it tastes like coffee. He didn't like it as well because it didn't have caffeine in it." </p><p>The woman's hands stilled and she looked up from her work. "You say that in past tense." She commented.</p><p>"I just lost him." Ellie felt her throat close and her vision blurred with tears, but she kept her eyes locked on the white petals of the flowers in front of her.</p><p>"Oh, I'm so sorry dear." She thought for a moment. "Have you come for flowers?" </p><p>It took Ellie a moment to respond. "Not intentionally, but… if it's not too much trouble, I think I'd like to bring him some." She squared her shoulders and looked down at the woman.</p><p>"Well… just let me know what you'd like and I'll harvest what we can." She smiled as she pulled another stem from the ground, brushing the roots off very carefully. "And in case you're having trouble picking out which flowers you'd like, there is a message you can express using flowers, as each has their own meaning. For example the ones you're standing in front of, the white tiger lilies, those represent purity and peace." </p><p>Ellie's brow knit together as she thought. "What do these mean?" She pointed to the white flowers with thorny stems. They were the ones tossed on Joel's casket before it was buried.</p><p>"Those are roses, dear, and the red ones are often used to express love. Platonic, romantic, or familial. It can also mean secrecy and confidentiality as well as to serve as a reminder of purity, clarity, and the transparency of intent." She looked up. "But because those are white, they are meant more for purity, youthfulness, and joy."</p><p>Ellie watched the woman's hands and contemplated the answer. </p><p>"Folks often ask for white tiger lilies, white tulips, and white roses for funerals. They are meant to celebrate life, as that is what a funeral is, no?" </p><p>With a nod, Ellie hummed softly. "I guess." Joel's funeral didn't feel like a celebration of anything. It felt like she was burying a part of her already shattered heart.</p><p>"I'll make you a bouquet tonight and you can come pick it up tomorrow if you'd like." The woman said kindly. </p><p>"Oh, you don't have to do that-"</p><p>"Please. I love making arrangements. That’s what I used to do before the outbreak. It's no problem at all." She smiled happily and Ellie let herself relent.</p><p>"Thank you… just let me know what I can do to repay you." </p><p>"Just a promise to let your heart heal." The woman smiled and went back to work. "Let me know if you'd like to add any flowers to your arrangement, and I’d be happy to incorporate them into the mix." </p><p>Ellie nodded and looked around, trying to keep herself contained.</p><p>"What about the ones you're working with?" She asked. They had been catching her eye ever since she entered this greenhouse.</p><p>"Hydrangeas? Well, these ones are blue so… they represent forgiveness, apology, regret, deep sorrow, or rejection. While not the friendliest message, they make a wonderful tea. Good for Urinary Tract Infections." The woman smiled as she caressed the globe of blue petals. </p><p>The gaping hole in Ellie's chest seemed to widen as pain lanced her every bone and muscle. It hit too close to the squishy, tender, vulnerability she felt inside. She reached up and rubbed at her chest. It would express everything she wanted to say to him that she couldn’t. "Then… I think I'd like a blue hydrangea." Her eyes watered and she looked down. "Just one is okay." </p><p>The woman's eyes softened at Ellie's somber mood and she nodded. "Very good. Any others?" </p><p>"No… that covers it. Thank you." Ellie responded quietly, then took a deep breath and squared her shoulders again. "I promise to try... my best to heal. Can I ask for your name?" </p><p>"Alice." Her return was quick. "And yours?"</p><p>"Ellie." She sighed and Alice nodded instantly. </p><p>"Oh…" her realization turned to a smile. "I believe I remember you from the dance the other night. You were with a young woman with, ah, tan skin and black hair?" </p><p>"Yes." She tried to keep the bitterness out of her tone. The last thing she wanted to hear was something negative about their relationship.</p><p>"Well, it's good to meet you." She stood and reached her hand out for Ellie to shake.</p><p>With hesitant movements, Ellie accepted and clasped her hand around Alice's. "I'll let you get back to work." She said softly and Alice bowed her head once, then straightened as she pulled away.</p><p>"I hope I've been able to help you. Remember, come over tomorrow morning and I'll have your arrangement ready. Come back here to pick it up." The botanist pointed to the ground, though the gesture was for the greenhouse they stood in. </p><p>"Yes ma'am." Ellie nodded then shifted. "Thank you again… this means… a lot to me."</p><p>"Of course, any time, dear." Alice smiled. "Take care of yourself now."</p><p>"You too." She hesitated. "I will."</p><p>"Very good. See you tomorrow." She said cheerfully, then went back to work.</p><p>"See you tomorrow." Ellie responded just before leaving the tent.</p><p>The world was dark and now tender. Her heart was cracking apart and she couldn’t piece it back together regardless of what she did. The sleep she hadn’t acquired in the days since Joel’s funeral caught up to her when she entered her home, and after taking her boots off, she fell into her bed and slept for what felt like years.</p><p>The dark world called to her, and in the end, she brought Alice’s white vase filled with white tiger lilies, white tulips, white roses, and one blue hydrangea to Joel when she visited him one last time before she and Dina left for Seattle.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Ta Da! My first one-shot! How'd I do? Good, I hope. </p><p>I hope you enjoyed this, and thank you for reading!</p><p>-Lady Arlo</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Purple Delphiniums and White Daisies</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Ellie and Dina find some flowers on their first day of making their way through Seattle.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Hmm."</p><p>"Hm?" Dina asked.</p><p>"Yeah." Ellie shrugged.</p><p>"What are you '<em>hmm</em>'-ing about? Joel's coffee beans?" Dina said as she stepped out of the boarded-up coffee shop in Seattle. They'd just retrieved a key for 'Barko's… something' and the shattered glass crunched under her boots as she stepped out onto the grass-covered concrete.</p><p>"No. These." Ellie pointed to the little purple flowers that cascaded down its stalk in a conical tapering point. They blew gently in the wind along with the rustling of the grass. There were a lot more by the courthouse.</p><p>"Okay, what are you talking about? I'm so confused."</p><p>"You know what they mean?" Ellie bent and picked one of the thick stalks, cutting it with her thumbnail. She stood and handed it to Dina.</p><p>"No idea, babe." She smiled and accepted the flower, then smelled it. "But thank you."</p><p>"That's a purple delphinium." Ellie was visibly exhausted, but her smile made it look less severe. "It means ah… the ability to strive for your goals and also to achieve them, like… what we're after. And perseverance." She gave a sheepish look. "But it can also represent openness to new feelings and emotions. Like… being in a relationship." She gestured between them and Dina's eyes softened.</p><p>"I didn't know you were a nerd for flowers." She smiled, then leaned over and pressed a slow and gentle kiss to Ellie's lips. She still startled slightly at kissing, mainly because she still couldn't believe Dina was actually… her girlfriend. It seemed so surreal.</p><p>When they broke, Ellie's cheeks were pink. "It's… a recent thing. Alice gave me this book and I read it at night when I can't sleep. It helps get my mind off of things." She said softly with a shy shrug.</p><p>"Plant Lady Alice?" Dina grinned and Ellie nodded.</p><p>"She helped me pick out the flowers I brought to Joel before we left." Her eyes saddened and Dina reached out and rubbed Ellie's shoulder. "She gave me a field guide to look through while we were on the road."</p><p>Dina smiled warmly and pressed her hand to Ellie's cheek. "Does it help?"</p><p>"Oh, reading it? Yeah, sometimes. Most times it just fills my head with knowledge. It's a distraction." Ellie rubbed the back of her neck.</p><p>"At least it's helping a <em>little bit.</em>" Dina raised the flower she held to her nose and sniffed it. A thoughtfully playful expression fell over her features. "And you know, I am looking forward to our relationship." She kissed Ellie again.</p><p>The small blush that crept to Ellie's features grew worse before she nodded back at Shimmer. "We should get going…"</p><p>"Oh wait, wait." Dina caught her arm and Ellie turned. "What are these?" She bent and gestured to the small white flowers with yellow centers.</p><p>Ellie frowned, then bent and shrugged her backpack off to set it on the ground. "They look like daisies, but I'm not entirely sure. They could be a wildflower of some kind."</p><p>"What do daisies mean?" Dina asked and Ellie shrugged as she pulled Alice's book of flowers from her bag and opened it to begin searching. "I'm not sure, but let's find out both what this flower is and what daisies mean."</p><p>Dina smiled and leaned over to kiss Ellie's cheek, but by that point she was so deep into finding her flowers that it went without much of a response.</p><p>"Here!" Ellie cheered suddenly. "They are daisies, look at that. White daisies." She glanced up and smiled as she turned the book around to let Dina see.</p><p>"What do they mean?" She asked softly.</p><p>Ellie's eyes scanned the page. "Innocence and purity. They're often a good gift to expecting parents or parents with a newborn because, like, babies haven't done anything wrong so early on. And because it's life, like, <em>new </em>life. And then maybe probably something about the spirituality of the concept of having kids?" Ellie shrugged, then looked up. "I suppose that could go with a lot of things, though." She picked a flower and tucked it behind Dina's ear. "There. Now you have purity and innocence." She grinned. "Or a snack for Shimmer. You said she was sounding a little hoarse?"</p><p>Dina clicked her tongue and huffed. "C'mon doofus. Let's go."</p><p>Ellie shrugged with a grin and hopped to her feet, then helped Dina up, who was still wearing a backpack full of heavy things. Ellie shouldered her own rather weighty backpack, then turned to lead them back to the horse.</p><p>The smile on Dina's lips faded as worry and anxiety began sinking in. <em>A gift to expecting parents</em>…</p><p>She mounted Shimmer, leaping up behind her partner, then let her hands fall to hold Ellie's hips.</p><p>
  <em>A gift to expecting parents…</em>
</p><p>Dina felt her eyes water. Was it a coincidence that <em>daisies</em> meant such a thing? It felt almost cruel. She reached up and wiped her eyes, doing her best not to alert her partner of her distress. She didn't know when the best time to… tell Ellie would be. She didn't know how Ellie would feel. Hell, Dina didn't even know <em>she </em>felt about it. And Jesse…</p><p>With a shaky breath, she let her hand drift across her abdomen. She wasn't ready for parenthood. Nothing in the world could prepare her for parenthood, and she couldn't exactly ignore the symptoms. She'd been getting sick for at least three… or was it four… weeks? Either way, she was luckily able to hide it for the majority of that time. Only recently had it gotten bad enough for Ellie to notice.</p><p>It wouldn't… be much longer before she started showing…</p><p>That scared her.</p><p>She looked down at the purple delphinium. Maybe her next goal would be to… summon the courage to tell Ellie about the pregnancy within the next few days. Maybe she needed to let herself be open to the new experiences she'd go through in this. That's what purple delphinium meant after all…</p><p>She scooted closer to Ellie, adjusting herself so that it seemed like she was only trying to get more comfortable. She just hoped Ellie would be open to it too… or at least be somewhat supportive. She had to wipe her eyes again. Thinking about it was stressful enough. She just… didn't want to be a burden; to hold Ellie back from achieving her own goals; to placing more weight on a load that didn't need any more added to it.</p><p>"It'll be okay. We're gonna be okay." She whispered uncertainty as Shimmer strode through a patch of tall grass, using the sound to keep Ellie from hearing it.</p><p>"Hey, have you seen where <em>Barko's </em>is?" Ellie spoke up.</p><p>Dina pointed and cleared her throat. "The tag on the key says '6th Avenue and Marion Street', which I think is over that way. Past the courthouse."</p><p>"Thanks, babe."</p><p>Dina felt Ellie's hand against her own, which prompted her to hug Ellie a little closer. "Of course."</p><p>Soon, she let herself focus on Shimmer's smooth canter as she trotted up the hill. The trip didn't seem long enough, and she did her best to not look as raw as she felt when they both dismounted.</p><p>Ellie unlocked the back door and slipped inside to instantly begin searching the place. It was a storage room that was turned into a hideout. There were cots laying around as well as some supplies. She found a layout drawn on a whiteboard to mark their map with. They found some WLF propaganda too. Apparently, rogue militia groups weren't so uncommon in this world after all.</p><p>Dina followed Ellie into the back room and looked around. There were toys and pet bowls and leashes and collars and treats that were long past their expiration on the shelves. She reached back and picked up a small elephant stitched in soft canvas. She smelled it. Catnip.</p><p>"Goonie and Ghost would have loved this." She let her fingers rub the elephant's soft ears. It felt more like a baby toy than a cat toy, but then again, they're not so different when it comes to toys.</p><p>"Um, who?" Ellie turned as she strapped a pistol holster to her right thigh. She found it on the counter.</p><p>"They were these feral cats I had before coming to Jackson, but… they didn't seem to want to leave with us so…" she laughed softly. "I miss those scratchy little shits sometimes." Dina paused and looked over. "You have any pets?"</p><p>Ellie straightened her jacket as she shrugged to help situate her clothing under her backpack. "Nah. Was never really my thing."</p><p>"Well, maybe when we're done with all this we could get a nice little creature to take care of." Dina smiled softly, fighting the anxiety again as she let herself come so close to revealing her secret. A kid and a pet are a lot different… raising a human versus raising a cat that mostly cares for itself? Nausea coiled in her stomach and she pressed a hand there to hopefully help it go away.</p><p>Ellie let out a soft snort of laughter as she looked around the room, once more completely unaware of Dina's mental disarray. "All right. Deal."</p><p>Something akin to relief spread itself through Dina's chest when she heard Ellie say that. Maybe it wasn't an agreement to being okay with having a baby, but it was something for her to cling to; hope that Ellie would stick around with her.</p><p>Right now she just… felt incredibly alone… and scared.</p><p>Her hand slipped lower once Ellie had sprinted back into the larger room, and again her eyes filled with tears.</p><p>
  <em>A gift to expecting parents…</em>
</p><p>She hoped with her entire being that Ellie would stay by her side through the pregnancy, but she wouldn't force it if Ellie wanted nothing to do with it.</p><p>Dina glanced down at the little blue elephant, then tucked it away in one of the smaller pockets of her backpack where it would be safe.</p><p>She wanted it to be a gift for the baby.</p><p>A small smile crept to her lips.</p><p>And they would call it <em>Ollie</em>.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Yup, I made another one. Yup it's short, but that's okay, I still hope you enjoyed it. I've been playing through the game again and I found a few more flower types in the beginning when Ellie and Dina are roaming around in Seattle (Day 1) that I thought were interesting. I am confident Naughty Dog meant to foreshadow Dina's pregnancy in the daisies that were all over the place. The light and dark purple flowers found by Tommy's campsite were unidentifiable to me, sadly. At first I thought they might be blue hydrangeas based on a picture another user on Reddit shared with me, but going through the game again, the flowers were much too big. I even pulled out my encyclopedia(s) of native flowers, wild flowers, perennials, annuals, and all flowers. Still nothing. If someone finds it or something similar to it, please let me know.</p><p>With that said, I hope you enjoyed what turned out to be Ollie's Origin Story :)</p><p>Cheers to you all, and thank you for reading!</p><p>-Lady Arlo</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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